Are SAP trainings a good investment to get your first job?
Although I support studying to improve our jobs, timing is fundamental. Sometimes, enrolling in multiple courses won’t help you to get a job faster.
Most programmers are excellent self-learners.
During my years at university, it was common to see students knowing more than the professors in their own subjects. We are curious and can dedicate long hours to understanding, learning, and trying until we get it. Although this works perfectly for most technologies, that’s not so easy when it comes to SAP.
Learning SAP development alone is hard.
This has nothing to do with its technical complexity (indeed, it’s way easier than other technologies we have nowadays). The challenge comes because it’s a tool oriented to satisfy internal clients. So, you can’t create compelling personal projects when you haven’t worked in a relatively big company.
That’s why many SAP aspirants see investing money in courses and sandboxes as the best way to get a job.
My Dream Job
By the time I was finishing my studies, SAP developers were on the spot.
Even though I was doing well in my C++ position at a small company, I wanted to get an SAP job. Working at a big company with top technology was my biggest desire then. However, there was a problem: I didn’t know SAP and was getting late to the party. At least, that was what I thought.
Until one day when I applied for the perfect opportunity:
One of the big 4 companies was looking for IT students to hire as SAP trainees. They surprised me twice:
- When they opened that position
- When they hired me
My journey at that company started with a 6-week, full-time official SAP training at the company’s headquarters. It was hard to believe, and I tried to get the most out of those courses before the real job began. 6 weeks later, I joined the software factory and met the team leader (my new boss):
Please, don’t get me wrong. But honestly, the training you did is useless for working here. Let me guide you in solving real problems for 2 weeks, and then I’ll start giving you some requirements.
As hard as it was, he was right.
Once he shared the problems they faced in the factory, we saw how far we were to do anything valuable to the project. We had no idea about the tables, the best practices, or the objects developed and used there. The course may have given us a small base, but we learned much more in those 2 weeks with him than in the 6 weeks of training.
My point is that when you seek your first job in SAP, doing courses is irrelevant compared to real working experience.
What to do instead
My advice is to go and get a job.
I know what you are thinking: “But how am I supposed to get a job if I don’t know anything?” A serious company looking for trainees or entry-level employees doesn’t expect them to know the tool. On the contrary, they want to teach them the tools so they work according to the company’s practices.
So, leave the learning aside for now and focus your efforts on getting that first project.
These are some ideas to get it:
Type of Company - Consultancy/Agency vs Big Company running SAP
Small companies don’t use SAP, so you can’t walk your neighborhood throwing CVs. You need to work at a big company that runs SAP or an agency that serves that big company.
I started in consultancy and think it’s a great way to learn. You meet many people and work on several projects for multiple companies. You get a broader experience there.
When you are part of a “client,” you only know that particular system. I met many people with long years of experience but narrow knowledge because their universe was limited to what happened at their companies.
Location - working from home vs. at the office
I love to work from home, but it’s a bad idea when you have zero experience.
The input you receive at the office is precious. You see and overhear discussions, which helps you absorb more knowledge. Getting involved in exciting activities is easier when people see you there.
After some years, you can add flexibility to your position, but going to the office until you gain enough autonomy is a must.
Finding the company
As mentioned, you can’t walk your neighborhood, but you can walk the internet boards, social media, and companies’ sites throwing your CV. I did these in the past:
- Go to the consultancies’s sites. They all have the “Work with us” section
- Visit job boards
- LinkedIn is an excellent source of jobs. Set your profile to make it clear that you want to learn SAP.
- Find companies that use SAP (where do ABAP developers work?)
- Talk to friends at those companies and ask them to submit your CV.
You have multiple alternatives. The better your CV and research about the companies, the better your chances of getting a job quickly.
Shift your mind from learning to getting a project so you can work and learn at once.
Good luck in your search.